


Ask First

by speccygeekgrrl



Category: White Collar (TV 2009)
Genre: Assumptions, First Kiss, Multi, Slap Slap Kiss, Surprise Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:28:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27438835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/speccygeekgrrl/pseuds/speccygeekgrrl
Summary: Peter put the plate down and glanced from his wife— open-mouthed and pink-cheeked— to his partner— with a fresh handprint on his stubbled cheek— and back again. "Neal,what did you do?"
Relationships: Elizabeth Burke/Peter Burke/Neal Caffrey
Comments: 2
Kudos: 51





	Ask First

**Author's Note:**

> For a prompt table prompt: White Collar, slap slap kiss, touch, assumption.

Elizabeth would not call herself a violent woman by any means, so the instant after her hand connected with Neal's cheek came as a shock to both of them. 

"I'm sorry," they said in unison, and then Neal went on, "I shouldn't have done that, please forgive me."

"I don't know if I can, Neal," she said, and pressed her stinging hand to her lips where his lips had just been. 

"...I'm not stupid enough to ask you not to tell Peter," he said, lowering his head.

"Tell Peter _what_?" Peter asked, coming through the back door with a plate full of steaks and a suspicious expression to catch the tail end of Neal's sentence. He put the plate down and glanced from his wife— open-mouthed and pink-cheeked— to his partner— with a fresh handprint on his stubbled cheek— and back again. "Neal, _what did you do_?"

"I—" Neal shot a desperate glance at Elizabeth, who arched her brows at him. "I... kissed your wife. And I'm very, very, very sorry."

"Oh," Peter said, not looking incredibly perturbed to hear it. "Without asking her?"

"...yes," Neal admitted.

"Well, that was really stupid of you," Peter said. "Ask her next time."

Neal blinked, and blinked, and then said, "Wait, _next time_?"

"Do you need a demonstration of how to do it properly?" Peter and El made eye contact for a moment, and she tipped her head at Neal. There was a hint of a smile tugging at Peter's lips when he strode up to Neal and said, "Would you like to be kissed?"

"Uh, _yes_ ," Neal said, and made a sharp shocked sound straight into Peter's mouth when Peter leaned in and kissed him, not roughly but firmly and definitely possessively. 

When Neal kissed Elizabeth, he hadn't been planning on doing it. Sure, yeah, he'd thought about doing it before, he was only human and she was, if not perfect, then very close to perfect. But it had been a spur of the moment decision: he'd made her laugh, and the delight on her face was so compelling that he bent to kiss her without thinking of the many good reasons he should not be doing that. 

When Peter kissed Neal, it was quite obvious that he'd spent a significant amount of time thinking about it, and equally obvious that he'd spent most of that time planning on how to steal the words straight from Neal's mouth and leave him wordless and gasping when Peter drew back. "It's very rude to assume that you're wanted," Peter said, one hand wrapped in Neal's tie, "even if the assumption is correct."

"Wait, I am so confused," Neal said, one hand stealing up to his pink cheek. "She slapped me..."

"I wouldn't have slapped you if you hadn't taken me by surprise," Elizabeth said. 

"So... you'll let me kiss you if I ask first?"

" _Ask first_ ," Elizabeth said, and reached up to brush her fingers across Neal's cheek. "But... I didn't mean to hit you that hard. I am sorry."

"No, no, it's... it's your right," Neal said, and looked from El to Peter to El to Peter. "I can kiss _both_ of you if I ask first?"

" _Ask first_ ," Peter said.

"Can I please kiss you both?" Neal asked promptly.

"Once right now," Peter said, "but these perfectly-grilled steaks are not going to be abandoned just because you jumped the gun on the night."

"Jumped the gun?" Neal echoed, still two steps behind.

Peter and El shared another one of those speaking looks, and then she leaned up and he leaned down to kiss Neal on both cheeks at once. 

"How many of my assumptions are correct?" Neal asked faintly, not sure which way to turn.

" _Ask first,_ " the Burkes said together, and Peter added, "But, you know... you should ask."

"Will do," Neal said, and turned to kiss them each in turn: first Peter, tenderly, the way he'd thought about doing so many times when they turned to each other incandescent with a breakthrough; then Elizabeth, sweetly, trying to apologize again without words, willing to apologize as many times as necessary when she hummed and swayed into him.


End file.
